Cutting-machine



H. B. GREENOUGH.

CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 8. 1919.

1,381, 184. atented June 14, 1921.

UNITE stares EfAELN'E HENRY B. GREENOUGH, 015 BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CUTTING-MACHINE.

Patented June 14;, 1921.

Application filed September 8, 1919. Serial No. 322,374.

To all 'u; ham it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY B. GRnnNoUeH, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Beverly, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Cutting-Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to cutting machines and more particularly to machines for cutting out blanks from sheet material by means of freelymovable dies.

A machine of this class, known commercially as the clicking machine and disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 921,503, granted May 11, 1909, to Arthur Bates, has attained to extensive use because of its efficiency and general satisfactoriness. Characteristic features of this machine reside in a work supporting bed, a presser member movable laterally over the bed into and out of position above work on the bed and movable also by power means in pressure applying operations upon the work, and a single manually controllable means for moving the presser member laterally and for causing pressure applying operations. A most important feature of this construction which contributes markedly to the efiiciency of the clicking machine is the provision of a controlling means of the kind described which is mounted to move with the presser member. In the specific construction illustrated in the patent the connections between the single controlling means and the trip lever for the machine embody members which embrace the post that carries the presser member, the said connecting members being lo- 'cated between the upper surface of the presser member and the upper bearing for the post. In recent years new uses have been found for the clicking machine, as in cutting blanks from heavy layers of rubber or rubber fabrics and from fabrics in a multi plicity of layers. Clicking machines especially designed for such heavy work are so organized that it is not practicable to employ the presser member control of the machine shown in the said Letters Patent.

Itis an object of this invention to provide an improved means adapted for controlling the presser member of a machine thus 1'- ganized during both its lateral and vertical reciprocations, which means will retain the advantages of the presser member control of said patent.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention resides in an improved construction of controlling mechanism for machlnes of the type described, which in the lllustratlve embodiment of the invention, includes an arm Or handle portion movable with the presser member in the lateral movements of the latter and about an axis at one side of the axis of turning of the presser member.

The invention will be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and the novel features of improvement, including certain details of construction and combinations of parts, will be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the invention applied to a well-known type of cutting machine, and

'Fig. 2 is a plan view-partly in section, of the mechanism shown irfFig. 1. V

In the illustrative machine there is shown a frame 4 having bearings 6 for a post 8 mounted therein for vertical reciprocation whereby a presser member 10 carried by the post is "caused to approach and recede from the work supporting bed 12. In order that the presser member may be positioned above the work wherever located on the bed or cutting block 12, the post is also rotatably mounted in its bearings, the connections between the post and its operating shaft 14:

like that disclosed in United States patent to Arthur Bates No. 921,503, granted May 11, 1909.

In the illustrative construction the presser member 10 is shown to be considerably heavier and to have a deeper bearing 20 upon the post 8 than in machines of this type as ordinarily constructed, the purpose being to fit the machine for operations upon ma terial of more than usual weight or thickness as, for instance, rubber and rubber fabrlcs, sole leather, and fabrics arranged in piles of many layers. As shown the bearing 20 of the presser member extends into close juxtaposition to the upper bearing 6 for the post so that the starting lever 16 must be mountecl high up in the frame and preferably on the upper bearing 6 of the post. Conveniently, the starting lever 16 is mounted on a pivot 22 in the upper bearing 6 for movement in a vertical plane, a spring 24 being provided for holding the lever in its normal position of rest. In the illustrative construction the handle which is provided for operating the starting lever is arranged to extend along one side of the presser member in such manner as to be accessible to the operator who stands at one side of the cutting bed and swings the presser .member alternately away from and toward this side of the bed in positioning the work and the presser member for operation thereon. In the construction shown the handle 26 is telescoped upon a rod 28 which is pivoted to the lever 16 by means which comprises preferably a vertically arranged bolt 30 whereby the handle 26 may be moved with the presser member as the latter turns about the vertical axis of the post in moving laterally over the work supporting bed. The outer end of the handle 26 is slotted, as shown at 32,.to engage slidably with the usual. vertically arranged handle member 34 at the free end of the presser member, the latter handle being vertically movable upon a stationary rod 36. When the presser member 10 is near the operator and is to be moved but a slight distance rearwardly to uncover the work, the handle 34 may be utilized to move the presser member and to actuate the starting mechanism. Ordinarily, however, the handle 26 will be grasped by the operator in moving'the presser member 10 and in actuating the starting mechanism to cause the operation of the machine. The reason for telescoping the handle 26 on the supporting portion of the rod 28 will be clear when it is considered that thepresser member turns about the axis of the post 8, whereas the handle turns about pivot 30 which is disposed laterally and in parallel relation with the axis of the post. Hence, as the presser member is moved away from the "front of the bed to uncover the work or to position it over a. die adjacent to the rear side of the cutting block, the handle portion 26 moves telescopically on the supporting portion of the rod 28.

When the press shown in the drawings is used as a cutting machin h w rk supp t ing bed 12, which serves as a cutting block, is gradually worn down so that the presser member 10 must be adjusted downwardly to cooperate with the lowered surface of block 12. In the construction shown provision is made for lowering the handle along with the presser member, the supporting rod 28 of the handle being carried adjustably in an upper, more or less horizontal portlon 38 of the handle support by any well-known means, that shown comprising a cone member 40 threaded on the rod 28 and engaging in a socket in the portion 38 where it is tightly clamped by means of a nut 42 screw threaded on the end of the rod.

When the starting mechanism above described is used in connection with a twin clicking machine like that shown in the copending application of Milton Ballard, Serial No. 203,809, filed Nov. 24, 1917, in which the presses are joined together by a tie rod, the ends of the tie rod may be utilized as stop members, as indicated at 44 in the drawings. A coiiperating abutment 46 projects laterallyfrom the lever 16 and into position beneath the tie rod with the under surface of which it contacts normally through the operation of the spring 24. By the means described the lever is held inrits normal position of rest. It will be understood that a stop or other positioning means for the lever may be provided independent of the tie rod. I

In the operation of the machine, work is positioned upon the work supporting bed 12 while the presser member 10 isishoved back out of the way to permit of proper manipulation of the work and oi the cutting die and to provide for access of light so that the work may be properly inspected. When the work is suitably prepared for a cutting operation the presser member is located over the work, the handle 26 being ordinarily grasped in moving the presser member and then depressed to cause the actuation of the starting lever 16. After a pressure applying operation by the presser" member it is moved away from over the work and the latter repositioned as desired. y Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

' 1. In a machine of the class described, a work supporting bed, a" presser member movable over the bed and also toward and from the bed in pressure'applying operations, a post for supporting the presser member, a machine frame having abearing for said post, power means for moving the presser member, and a single manuallycontrollable means for movingthe presser memher over the bed and for controlling said power means comprising a lever pivoted on the bearing for the post, and a handle member pivoted to said lever on a vertical axis at one side of the bearing and in such manner that it may. move with the presser member.

2. In a machine of the class described, starting mechanism, a work supporting bed, a presser member movable laterally over the bed into different operative positions relatively to the bed and movable also toward and from the bed in pressure applying operations, a post for supporting the presser member, a frame having a bearing for the post, the presser member having a relatively extensive bearing on the post with the upper end thereof in close juxtaposition to the lower end of the bearing for the post, and means for controlling said presser member both in its lateral and vertical reciprocations comprising a lever mounted to turn about a horizontal axis located in said bearing, and a handle member mounted to turn about a vertical axis eccentric to the axis of the post.

3. In a machine of the class described, a work supporting bed, a presser member movable laterally over the bed and also toward and from the bed in pressure applying operations, a post for supporting the presser member, and means for movin the resser member laterally and for co-ntro ling it in its pressure applying operations comprisin a lever mounted on the frame of the machine and a handle portion mounted on the lever to turn about an axis at one side of the axis of the post.

4. In a machine of the class described, a work supporting bed, a presser member movable over the bed but also toward and from the bed in pressure applying operations, a-

n a machine of the class described, a

work supporting bed, a presser member mov-' able laterally over the bed and also toward and from the bed in pressure applying operations, power means for moving the presser member, and means for moving the pressermember laterally over the bed and for controlling said power means comprising a lever mounted to turn about a horizontal axis, and a handle portion pivoted to said lever to turn about a vertical axis and having a hand hold portion telescopically mounted thereon.

6. In a machine of the class described, a work supporting bed, a presser member, a post for supporting the presser member and movable laterally over the bed and toward and from the bed in pressure applying operations, power means for reciprocating the post, and a single means for moving the presser member laterally and for controlling said power means, said means being mounted to turn about a vertical axis positioned laterally of the axis of the post.

7. In a machine of the class described, a work supporting bed, a presser member movable laterally over the bed and also toward and from the bed in pressure applying operations, power means for moving the presser member, means for moving the presser member laterally over the bed comprising a handle member extending longitudinally along one side of the presser member, and means for controlling said power means comprising a lever having a portion telesco-ped into said handle member.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

HENRY B. GREENOUGI-I. 

